


Elemental

by bitriple



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: AU, Action/Adventure, Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Lizzington - Freeform, Magic, Medieval, Romance, Violence, and URT, but expect a lot of UST, haven't decided how slow burn it's going to be yet, ignoring cannon so hard I made an entire new universe for it, update weekly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-19 23:12:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15520800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitriple/pseuds/bitriple
Summary: Red and Liz are part of a rare group of humans gifted with the power of magic, known as The Maji. Their kind is being hunted by a secretive, violent group known publicly as The Council of Peace. This story is set in ancient times and is a slow burn lizzington action/adventure fic.





	1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Elemental

**Summary:** Red and Liz are part of a rare group of humans gifted with the power of magic, known as The Maji. Their kind is being hunted by a secretive, violent group known publicly as The Council of Peace. This story is set in ancient times and is a slow burn lizzington action/adventure fic.

**Note:** This is essentially an alternate universe version of ancient times with a lot less sexism to fit where my stories going. It also has a different geography and names than actual ancient times here on Earth (mostly bc I’m too lazy to do any research lol). Also they use present day slang because it’s so much easier to write dialogue this way so just roll with it.

**Warnings:** contains violence, torture, major gore (with some descriptions of severe/fatal burns as well as the normal blood, guts, broken bones, etc.), and sexual content (descriptive)

**Prologue**

“Surely you’re not afraid of a little girl?”

Sam Milhoan chewed on his lip, his eyes falling to the child pressed against Red’s leg. Red followed his gaze. She had hardly stopped crying in the past few days, but right now her eyes were clear. They were wide and far too perceiving for a four-year-old and Red had the impression that she was going to remember every word of this.

He gently pried her tiny hands from his legs and knelt on one knee. “Elizabeth, this nice man is named Sam. He’s going to take care of-”

“Ray!” As Red’s head swiveled towards Sam Liz’s followed. Red waited until Sam gave into the pressure to glance over at the child staring at him. He saw the exact moment his resolve collapsed and bit back a smile. “You know what she can do.” The protest was weak.

“Yes, and I know that no matter what happens you will take care of her. You will protect her and raise her as if she is your own. I will return, when the time comes.”

Sam sighed, but his gaze was soft as it turned back to Elizabeth. “Hi butterball. Look like you’re going to be staying with me for a little while. That sound good to you?”

Liz looked up at Red, her tiny hand reaching for his own. He grasped it, giving her a reassuring smile, before rising to his feet. When he moved towards Sam, Liz followed. Red could feel Elizabeth’s skin burning against his own, so hot it was almost painful, a sign he had learned meant that she was afraid. He squeezed her hand and the chill was instant.

Sam held his hand out and after staring at it for a moment as if she had never seen such a strange object before, Liz tentatively reached out to grab it. When she did Sam knelt down to kiss her knuckles. “It is a pleasure to meet you m’lady,” he said and Liz giggled.

“I knew you two would get along swimmingly.” Red stepped over to take his jacket from the table in the corner of the room.

“You’re leaving?” a voice whispered from behind him. It was the first two words he’d heard her say since pulling her from the flames, and Red felt his heart clench painfully.

“I have to sweetheart,” he said, keeping his back turned as he slipped into his jacket. He wouldn’t be able to keep his composure if he had to look into those swirling blue eyes, knowing that he might never see them again. She was the last link to _everything_ he cared about in this world and giving her up hurt worse than the scars on his back, still bubbling with the heat that had seared them. “I’ll be-” He couldn’t lie to her, not after everything. “I’ll do everything in my power to come back for you, I promise.”

He forced himself to turn around to find Liz’s eyes welling with unshed tears. The striking similarity of her eyes to her mother’s took his breath away. He could still see the way she had looked up at him, the blood rapidly spreading through her shirt onto the stone below. _“Promise me, you’ll keep her safe.”_

_“Here I am,”_ he told Katarina in his head. _“I’m keeping my promise.”_ He crossed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Liz, lifting her off the ground. Her tiny hands bunched in the fabric of his jacket, their searing heat pressing through into the aching, marbled skin below. The pain grounded him. He pressed a kiss against her forehead, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair one last time. “You’re going to be okay Lizzy.” She shook against him. “Everything is going to be okay.”

***

She was 9, when she figured it out. Ellie and her had been sitting around the fire Liz had proudly made from flint and steel she had stolen from Sam’s desk. Sam would be mad if he found them missing, but if he _really_ expected her to resist he should have made a lock that took more than a second and a curved piece of wire to pick.

“Let’s pretend we’re Maji,” Ellie said suddenly, yanking her stick from the fire and nearly taking Liz’s eye out.

Liz had heard about Maji, in school. The first Maji had been the second son of an ancient King. His name was Marcus and he knew that, no matter what, his brother would get the throne before him. He grew dark with jealously- trying poison and assassins, even praying to the Gods that his brother would die and he would become heir. His plots were so twisted that it caught the attention of the God of Darkness, Fury. He offered Marcus powers beyond any mortal- to heal faster, run farther, be stronger than any human. Most importantly, he gave him the power to control the very elements around him in return for one thing- his soul.

Marcus took the deal but in doing so he was irrevocably changed. He grew powerful- his strength rivaled that of entire armies, but the loss of a soul left him twisted, evil. He killed his brother first and found that his need for blood did not stop there. He killed his mother and father and enslaved the entire kingdom. He kidnapped women and by bearing children with them his terrible powers spread. These were the first of the Maji, and each one of them were born soulless, dangerous and unstable monsters.

They killed without remorse. They destroyed everything in their wake. They had no sense of loyalty, or love, or friendship- they only understood violence.

Marcus’ reign of terror lasted for years, until the brave soldiers of Armidia rose up to resist him. Many were slain in battle, but under the lead of their clever leader King James, they were able to kill Marcus and the sons and daughters that lived in his Kingdom. The world was at peace once more and lived that way for many years, until word came in from the East of death and destruction.

It turned out that they hadn’t killed all of the Maji in the great battle. One of Marcus’ daughters, Victoria, had dressed as a common lady, and disappeared into the night. Two hundred years ago Victoria had given birth to her first set of children- a pair of twins.

King James and his army their lives dedicated to hunting down the rest of the Maji, but they were smart. They never stayed anywhere long, but in each village they charmed and impregnated a human, thus growing in numbers.

The descendants of King James and his army had continued the fight and were destroying the last of the Maji. Fewer and fewer roamed the Earth and the men and women who fought against them, now known as the Council of Peace, were confident that it wouldn’t be long until the Maji were gone and their terrible reign over Earth was over.

If they were caught by the villagers playing Maji, they’d be in the stocks for sure. The thought made Liz’s palms tingle and she smiled wide, “Let’s do it!”

They danced and jumped around the fire, shouting gibberish into the evening sky between fits of helpless laughter. It was midsummer and the smoke chased away the misquotes lurking in the depths of the woods. Liz didn’t think she had ever felt more alive dancing to the beat of the pulsing flames, her body warmed by the heat and the intoxicating scent of smoke.

That was, until Ellie tripped into her and sent her soaring towards the flames. Liz put out her hand to stop herself, her palm falling straight into the bright coals. She shrieked, more of surprise than pain, as the heat enveloped her. Ellie grabbed her and yanked her backwards, pulling her hand free of the flames, “Liz!”

Liz was dizzy with the sudden rush of fear. Her hands were trembling as she turned her wrist. She gasped when she found it scorched black, the pale skin of her hand gone. “Water!” Ellie said grabbing her other hand and pulling her up. “You’re supposed to put burns under water.”

Liz let herself be pulled upwards until they were streaking through the underbrush, ripping through thorns and being cut up by branches, heading towards the small creek in the corner of the woods. They skidded to a stop on the muddy bank, the gurgling doing little to still Liz’s racing heart. “My dad is going to kill me,” she told Ellie as she stared down at the blackened hand.

“Just put it in the water!” Ellie grabbed her hand and dunked it for her. Liz hissed as the chill of the water raced up her fingertips. In the dying light she could see a smear of black twisting away in the current.

After a moment her skin got used to the cold and Liz pulled her hand back. She turned her wrist to find the skin of her palm clear, the unmarred skin identical to her other one. “Ellie.” Her friend was sitting next to her on the bank with her eyes squeezed shut, fingers crossed on both hands as she muttered the little poem she claimed always gave good luck. “Ellie!” she smacked her in the shoulder and Ellie looked up. “Look.”

Ellie’s eyes widened before she tackled Liz backwards, both of them falling into the mud. “It worked! Oh my god I thought your hand was dead I’m so glad you’re not a cripple.”

Liz couldn’t help but break out into laughter at the words and soon they were both doubled over with helpless laughs. “We’re never lighting a fire again,” Ellie said through grasps of breaths.

It wasn’t until dinner that night, with Liz sitting across from Sam at the table and the flint and steel back where they belonged, that Liz realized how strange the experience had been. Sure her hand had only been in the fire for a few seconds, but it hadn’t hurt at all. Not even when her skin had been pressed against the live embers.

“I’m going to get some more soup-”

“I’ll get it,” Liz cut off Sam, a little too quickly if the wide-eyed look was any indication.

“Just grab the who-”

“The whole pot, yes,” Liz interrupted, slipping out of her chair towards the chimney stretching across the opposite wall. She paused in front of it, taking a deep breath. Then she thrust both of her hands straight into the flames, squeezing her eyes shut as the heat enveloped them.

She could feel the flames tickling against her skin, but they felt as light as a breeze. She slid her eyes slowly open to find her hands sitting in the center of the fire, smooth and pale and unharmed. Liz smiled, and grabbed the big black pot by the bottom.

“Elizabeth!” Sam exclaimed as she turned back to the table.

“It’s okay Daddy, fire doesn’t hurt me.”

Instead of looking surprised by the words, Sam heaved a great sigh. “Gods,” he mumbled, sliding a hand down his face. Liz set the pot back on the table, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. She could feel her hands heating up. What had she done to disappoint him? She collapsed back into her chair and Sam looked up at her, the small smile he gave her filling Liz with relief. “Let’s just keep this secret between us, okay butterball?” She smiled at the nickname and nodded. Sam breathed out a sigh of relief and served her an extra big helping of soup.

It wasn’t until that night that Liz put two and two together. The way Sam always changed the conversation when she asked about his sister, the one that had supposedly died when she was four of an illness, leaving Sam to take care of her. The dreams of flames that haunted her memory- the smoke so thick in her lungs, but it only seemed to drive her onward. Her hands sitting in the fire, the flames a slight tickling against her skin.

The fact that the Maji were known for their ability to control the elements. Liz cried herself to sleep that night, but when she tried to ask Sam the next morning the words shriveled up in her throat. She knew, deep inside, that it was true.

**AN:** I do not currently have a beta, so if you see any mistakes just let me know. Also if you want to beta this work I’d be forever grateful and it would probably motivate me to write faster so if you have any interest PM me! Also I got so frustrated with this season that I stopped watching halfway through and plan on bingeing it once it gets on netflix but I have heard that he is apparently not-her-father again so that's good. Please try not to put too many spoilers in the comments, thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thank you for all the comments/ kudos they give me life! I will be unable to post next Wednesday as I'm going on vacation but I'll be back on schedule after that. Hope you enjoy:).

**Chapter 1**

“Liz!” Liz turned to find Ellie running towards her through the market place, her long dress bunched up in her hand and her frizzy hair falling in bunches down her shoulder. She put a hand against her mouth to stifle her laughter when Ellie stumbled over her feet and narrowly avoided spilling to the ground.

“At least there aren’t any fire pits around,” she joked as Ellie steadied herself on her, breathing heavy from the run.

Ellie glared up at her but Liz could see the smile twitching the corner of her lips. “That was nine years ago! Nine!”

Liz laughed and brushed off a leaf that had gotten tangled into Ellie’s hair in her apparent sprint across town. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what brought you here anyway?”

Ellie’s eyes widened, “Oh my God you will not _believe_ who is in the market square right now.” When Liz simply raised an eyebrow Ellie let out an exasperated sigh. “There’s a group of soldiers from the Council of Peace!” She squealed. “Liz they’re all _so hot._ ”

Liz felt her hands flare with heat. She forced a smile onto her face. “Oh.” It came out as more of a croak and she cleared her throat. “That’s great.”

Ellie rolled her eyes. “Did you even hear me? Hot men who are employed and probably very lonely after months on the road. We’re going to see them now.”

“Oh, I actually have to-” But Ellie had already latched onto her arm and was yanking her in the direction of the marketplace. Liz took a deep breath, willing the heart beat racing in her ears to slow. They couldn’t know she was here. Sam was the only one who knew about her abilities, and Liz was certain he would never betray her. The knowledge didn’t stop her legs from freezing when they made it to the other side of the alleyway and came face to face with the line of Council members.

They were dressed in normal civilian clothing- armor didn’t do much against the elements themselves- but Liz could see the long swords sheathed at their sides. The sudden sensation of the blade sinking into her chest ran through Liz’s mind and she shivered.

Ellie sighed, drawing Liz’s eyes from the soldiers. “Aren’t they gorgeous?”

Liz snorted, “You’re engaged Ellie.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t look!” she protested. “ _Plus_ this day is for you. I’m going to find you a man. Although it would be a lot easier if you stopped wearing those blasted things.” She looked at Liz’s trousers as if they had personally offended her.

“I told you, Horver says wearing a dress to work is just asking to get burned alive. I’d rather not die before even finishing my internship.” Little did Horver know that Liz had “burned” herself half a dozen times since she started working for him. He always remarked how incredible it was for an intern to go so long without receiving the tiniest of burns.

Ellie rolled her eyes as if such matters were trivial. “C’mon let’s get closer so we can hear what they’re saying.”

They pushed through the thick crowd. It seemed as if the entirety of their small town was gathered there- adults, kids, and elders alike. Liz saw the entire class full of students huddled off to the side, the teacher valiantly trying to keep them from wandering off. She even saw Sam, standing by himself at the edge of the crowd. They made eye contact and his mouth tightened at the corners. They had never talked about her abilities since that night, but his silent message was clear- _don’t do anything stupid_.

Ellie dragged her to the very front of the crowd, so the only thing that was separating them from the soldiers was the thick, twisting smoke rising from the massive fire pit in the center of town. Someone had stirred the embers and the carcass of a deer sat skinned and roasting above the pit for their visitors.

Unable to resist, Liz found her eyes wandering down the line. All of the soldiers' clothes were stained with mud, their thin but strong frames speaking of the long journey they had traveled to get there. Most of them were not much older than Ellie and herself, but Liz’s eyes caught on a man who couldn’t have been more than a few years younger than Sam.

His blonde hair was cut short and out of the soldiers gathered, his clothes seemed the cleanest- his white shirt crisp at the collar and nearly free of stains, his trousers fitting tight against his muscled legs. His head turned and as soon as Liz met his pale green eyes a flash of recognition ran through her. She watched his eyes widen slightly, before his face shuttered again. He looked away, but the damage was already done.

A memory fluttered at the edge of Liz’s mind- so old it was more of a series of sensations than solid. She remembered flames towering around her; all she could see was a wall of fire and smoke. Then there were solid, warm arms around her carrying her into the coldness of the night. She was in her house but when she looked up at her father he was no more than a stranger, and she was holding onto the man next to her for comfort. Low words whispered into her ear _“I’ll do everything in my power to come back for you, I promise.”_

Whoever this man was, he had kept that promise. Years had passed but Liz had no doubt that the man standing before her and the one that had hugged her years ago were one and the same. “That man, I recognize him,” Liz whispered to Ellie.

“Which one?” Ellie’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “Liz these men come from Armidia, which is like three weeks away by _horse_.”

“The older one. I think…” Liz hesitated. She rarely talked about her past, not knowing much of it herself, but this was _Ellie._ “I think he was the one who brought me here. After my mother died.”

“Are you sure?” Liz nodded and Ellie reached out to squeeze her hand. “He must have known her then. You should go talk to him.”

Before Liz could respond the mayor cleared his throat. The murmuring in the crowd tapered off until the only sounds were the birds chirping in the distance and the crackling of the flames. “I am glad to see you all gathered here and am pleased to introduce the distinguished guests who will be staying with us as they pass onto Gervington.” Whispers resounded through the crowd- there had been rumors of uprisings against the King and Council in Gervington. Some said that it was the work of the Maji while others said that the men of Gervington knew something about Armidia that they did not. The mayor cleared his throat and everyone fell silent, hanging on his next words. “The leader of this troop, General Fowler, would like to say a few words.”

An older woman with a stern, wrinkled face stepped forward. Her harsh voice carried loudly over the silent crowd. “I thank you for the hospitality you and your town have shown in welcoming us, Mayor Herringford,” she said with a slight bow of her head. “I’m sure you’ve heard rumors of violence in Gervington. I’m here to confirm that those rumors are true.”

Gasps ran through the crowd and everyone began talking at once. Fowler raised her hand and it went silent once more. “The Council of Peace sent a group of some of our greatest soldiers to Gervington, over a month ago. They sent word that they were alive and well at the last village before arriving there. We haven’t heard from them since.”

“It is clear that the only evil that could so successfully silence us is the Maji.” Liz’s heart began to pound in her throat and she untangled her fingers from Ellie’s so she wouldn’t feel the way her palm scorched. “These are terrible times, but I assure you the Council of Peace is doing everything in its power to rid itself of these monsters for good. We are confident that the group in Gervington are some of the last Maji alive. It won’t be long until our mission is completed, and when we do this Kingdom will find peace once more. Thank you.”

A shuddered clap began in the back of the crowd and spread until it was a thunder of applause roaring in Liz’s ears. People began to whistle and someone behind her shouted, “Kill the Maji!” The words were echoed until it was a chant, “Kill the Maji! Kill the Maji! Kill the Maji!” Liz clenched her fists so tight that her nails drew blood.

An informal ceremony started after Fowler's speech. Folk music filled the air and the bartender dragged over a keg, giving beers to the Council for free and half off for all. Kids ran around, half throwing around dirt and shrieking, and the other half chasing them around with sticks and attempting to behead them. In the center of the square couples swayed back and forth.

“I need to talk to him,” Liz said, watching as the familiar man slipped away from the Mayor, pausing at the edge of the square. His eyes scanned the crowd and his body was stiff, as if he was searching for something.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

Liz smiled at her friend, “No, it’s okay thank you. Go find Philip, dance, have some fun! I’ll catch up with you later.”

The crowd was thin towards the outer edges and Liz knew the man saw her coming, but he didn’t give any signs of the recognition his eyes had held before. He gave Liz a cool, calculating look as she approached. “I’m sorry Mr.-”

“Sm-” There was a flicker of something too fast to read across the man’s face and he changed direction. “You can call me Red.”

“ _Red?_ What’s that short for?”

Red looked amused by the question, but he didn’t respond. After a moment of silence, he raised an eyebrow, “Was there a reason you came over here?”

“Yes I…” The words suddenly seemed foolish. “I think I recognize you.”

Red chuckled. “You wouldn’t be the first. Three months ago we were in… Kinsleton I believe, and this woman came over and slapped me right across the face. Apparently I looked _just_ like her husband who had ran off to God knows where the year before. Poor woman was so embarrassed she gave me the most _delicious_ blueberry pie which made the whole incident well worth it.”

“No- I’m certain it was you.”

The smile faded from Red’s face. “I’m sorry but you must have the wrong person.”

There was something _off_ about him- the way he never answered a question straight as if he was choosing his words very carefully- and the more he talked the more Liz was certain he was hiding something. “You brought me here when I was a child. You gave me to Sam.”

“Elizabeth.” The hand falling on Liz’s shoulder startled her.

She turned, “Dad! Isn’t this the man who brought me here? He says he wasn’t but I _know_ it was him I can remember…”

“No,” Sam cut her off, not casting a single glance at Red.

“But I-”

“It’s not the man.” His voice was quiet but firm, his tone almost scolding. Liz could feel her face burn as he turned to Red. “I’m terribly sorry for bothering you sir, we will leave you now.” Red gave a curt nod and Sam gripped tight onto Liz’s arm, steering her away.

“I _know_ that was him,” Liz whispered through gritted teeth.

“We can’t talk about this here, butterball.” Sam’s tone was soft, but urgent.

Liz felt her pulse begin to race in her throat. “I don’t understand. If that is the man that brought me here I want to talk to him. He must have known her and _you_ won’t tell me a single thing…” Sam’s face flashed with pain and Liz cut herself off. She forgot, sometimes, that while she had lost a mother that day he had lost a _sister_.

“I… Tonight, I’ll tell you everything. It’s time you knew the truth.” Liz didn’t understand the grim look on his face and didn’t have time to question it because a yell broke out next to them.

Liz stumbled out of Sam’s grasp, turning to see Mr. Blackwell, the town’s sole sheriff, towering over Mr. Porter, one of the few people in town who hadn’t been born there, arriving only the year before. Blackwell’s hands were tangled into Porter's shirt, his towering, muscled form comically large compared to the rod thin body of Porter. “You’re fucking my wife!?” Blackwell roared, his words slurred with alcohol.

Porter frantically shook his head, “No, I swear I’m not, I…”

“Don’t lie to me!” Blackwell shouted, shaking Porter so hard his feet collapsed beneath him and Blackwell was holding him up by his collar. Liz took a step towards them automatically, her hands burning. Before she could react a man had tackled Blackwell from behind and he was stumbling forwards.

He dropped Porter to claw at the arms wrapped around his neck. He tripped over his own feet and went down hard, too fast for Liz to move out of the way as he collided with her and sent her pitching backwards.

The shouts were the first sign of where she had fallen, the second being the flaring heat that enveloped her body and the smoke that flooded her lungs. _No no no no._ She pushed herself out and away, rolling against the dirt to put out her clothes. As soon as the heat disappeared she pushed herself up, her legs shaking with the adrenaline coursing through her body. “She’s not even burned!” a woman next to her cried and the murmur traveled through the silent crowd. The people gathered began to make a gap and Liz could see Fowler pushing her way through, her eyes dark and her hand resting on her sword.

She wheeled around- eyes searching the crowd, but everywhere she looked there was a flash of silver. She was surrounded. “Surrender peacefully, and we’ll make this easy,” Fowler said, drawing her sword as she broke free of the last few people. It glittered red in the fire light and Liz took a step backwards, not realizing the tips of her fingers were now brushing against the towering flames until she felt the familiar tingle up her palm. She took a deep inhale of the smoke, letting everything snap into focus.

“Don’t come any closer,” her voice was cold, almost unrecognizable to her own ears. “You know what I can do. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“No!” Liz couldn’t take her eyes off Fowler as she heard Ellie’s frantic cry split the air. “She’s my friend, she would never hurt…” Liz allowed her eyes to flicker over for just one moment, seeing one of the Council’s hands closing around Ellie’s mouth, yanking her away from the crowd. Next to her she caught a flash of movement- Sam, striding with his hands clenched in fists- but not towards her, towards Red who was standing just off to the side with his sword gripped tight in his hand. Her eyes flashed back to Fowler, who hadn’t moved, but Liz could hear the other men draw closer.

Liz leapt backwards as Red broke into the circle, stopping only a few feet away from her. His eyes met hers over the fire, his sword pointed at her chest. The heat was building in her hands and Liz looked down to find the flames crawling up her fingers- an image that made her head dizzy with fear.

“Stand down Smith!” Fowler barked.

“I can take her down, Ma’am,” Red said, not taking his eyes off Liz. It was almost as if he was trying to tell her something, but Liz’s thoughts were racing too fast to decipher anything beyond the soldiers closing in and the sword pointed at her chest.

There was a gasp and Liz looked down to see that the flames had encircled her hand, blazing so hot they glowed blue at the center. The moment of distraction was enough- she saw out of the corner of her vision Red’s feet moving forward. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the feeling of metal piercing her chest, but it never came.

Instead there was the abrasive clang of metal on metal and Liz’s eyes popped open to find Red only inches from her, his sword raised high above his head and blocking the blow from the soldier behind her that was about to take her head off. She didn’t have time to process- she just turned and drove her palm into his chest.

The shriek that filled the air sounded like a wounded animal as the man stumbled backwards, his weapon falling to the ground. He clawed at his shirt as the flames spread, a deep red that scorched through the thin fabric in seconds. As the man fell to the ground screams pierced the air and the townspeople began to run as the soldiers pushed in. They were everywhere and Liz was certain that she was about to die when she felt it.

It started as a faint breeze tickling the back of her neck and in seconds grew into a gale force wind so strong she had a hard time staying on her feet. She turned, her hair whipping away, to find Red had dropped his sword and was holding both his hands outstretched to the sky. His eyes were still fixed on her but instead of the pale green they were a vibrant silver that glowed as bright as the fire.

The wind began to spin and Liz realized its purpose a split second before it happened- the gusts caught onto the top of the flames and carried it with them. In a second they were surrounded in a haze of fire. Screams pierced the air and Liz could see through the twisting of the flames the soldiers beginning to flee, running from the certain death before them.

Fowler let out a scream and charged forward. Even as the flames caught her in the chest she kept going. Her entire body was on fire and Liz watched in horror as her scream turned to one of agony, but still she sprinted forward, her sword held out towards Red.

He stumbled backwards, his forehead creased in pain from the heat flaring around him. Liz sprinted forwards and threw herself towards Fowler only seconds before she reached Red. She collided with the woman hard, sending her flying back into the haze of fire. The wind around them dropped as they hit the ground. Liz rolled a few feet away on the hard soil, the contact knocking the breath from her. The adrenaline coursing through her veins distracted her from the pain and she stumbled to her knees, looking over at Fowler. Liz’s breath caught in her throat.

Fowler’s body was engulfed in flames, a dazzling array of red, orange and yellow, but somehow she was still alive- her entire body twitching as weak, pained moans broke her lips. Liz couldn’t do anything but remain frozen to the spot, staring at the scene in horror as Fowler writhed on the ground.

She didn’t register the fact that Red had moved until he was standing above Fowler. With one smooth motion he drove his sword into her chest and with one last jolt Fowler was still. Liz’s head jerked up to find Red wasn’t looking at Fowler, but at her. His eyes had returned to their normal color and were full of emotions that Liz couldn’t even begin to decipher. His sword came back dripping with blood as he pulled it free.

He approached Liz and held his hand out. Liz stared at it- the large, worn palm that had moved the very air before it and moments before driven a sword through the heart of a woman. “Lizzy.” The sound of her name coming from his lips startled her and Liz looked up to meet his gaze. “We can’t stay here. We have to move now.”

The adrenaline was beginning to fade and with it Liz could feel the dull ache settling in her bones, a deep exhaustion that made her want to do nothing but curl up on the spot and sleep. But now she could hear what Red heard- the thundering of footsteps and voices shouting. The flames had disappeared and the soldiers were coming for them.

Her legs were trembling, but steady as Red pulled her to her feet. “Are you hurt?” His voice was urgent and his eyes scanned her body.

“No.” Nothing felt quite real, but the pressure of Red grabbing her hand again, his grip firm, drew her back.

“Good. Because we’re going to need to run.”

With that, he took off, and Liz followed.


End file.
